Livestock feeder



Feb. 12, 1952 J. R. coFFING LIVESTOCK FEEDER 2 SHEETS--SHEET l Filed June 9, 1950 JNVENTOR. J/wfs i?, Kaff/N6,

J. R. COFFING Feb. 12, 1952 LIVESTOCK FEEDER Filed June 9, 195o 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 INVENTOR. Jwfs ,E (QPF/N6,

Patented Feb. 12,T 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT o-Fl-"Icl-z-v LIVESTOCK FEEDER James Coflng, Danville, Ill.

Application June 9, 1950, Serial No. 167,234

This invention relates to a live stock feeder,

and moreparticularly to a type suitable for autofmatic periodic feeding of small animals or pets such asdogs. As herein shown by Way f example, the feeder is designed for delivery of `'rationed dog food every twelve hours, 24 hours.

progressively released, the food ration carried thereby slides from the shelf to drop onto a fulcrumed counter-weight release door at the bottom of the housing and thence into a feed pan. As the fulcrumed door is actuated to receive and deliver the food into the pan a signal device, such as a bell, is.caused to be operated which, upon suitable training, serves to call the pet or other y animal to the feed pan.

By means of thisarrangement the shelves may be loaded with a suitable ration of food for each feeding, said food being of a character as not to require refrigeration. Thereupon the animal is fe'd regularly at predetermined intervals without Vattendance over a period of several days, after which the feeder may be reloaded and the cycle repeated.

The -full nature of the invention will be understood from the accompanying drawings and the following description and claims:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of the feeder with the closing door opened for viewing the interior thereof, one of the lower shelves having been releasedand the position of superimposedshelves being shown by dotted lines in releasedpo'sition. Fig. 2 is a side view taken on the line 2 2 Of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a vperspective view illustrative of the time-actuated shelf tripping mechanism.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view showing a modified form of shelf, with parts broken away.l

' -In the drawings there is shown for p urposeof illustratingy one modification of the'invention, a dog yfeeder comprising an upstanding cabinet I0 having a hinged doorII for closing the interior 4thereof, said door being shown -in its open position with a portion thereof broken away. The

- vcabinet includes 'a rear wall I 0a and side walls I2, theside wallsbeing flanged 'inwardly along the open front of the cabinet, as indicated at I 3. The cabinet may be hung on the wall of a building by a supporting bracket I4 in spaced relatin to the oor upon which a feed pan I5 may. rest immediately therebelow, as shown in Fig. 2.

Along each side-wall of the cabinet there is pivotally mounted a series of superimposed food supporting shelves IBA-and IEB. 'I'he A series of shelves extend outwardly from their pivotal mounting toward the center of the cabinet in equally spaced relation, and the B series of shelves likewise extend toward the center of the cabinet from their pivotal mountings, the shelves of the respective series being spaced in staggered relation. The spacing distance between the shelves of both series must be one-half of the spacing distance between shelves of the respective series. Each shelf is adapted to support a packageor ration of food, as'indicated at I'I. Said shelves are preferably formed of sheet metal with flanged reinforcing edges I8 vfor receiving the pivotal mounting rods I9 extending through the rear wall Illa and flange I3 of the cabinet, the'forward free edges of the flanges IB being beveled, as indicated at 20.

Each said shelf is normally supported in its horizontal position by a latch 2I fulcrumed to the rear Wall of the cabinet at 22 and having a 'y downwardly-extending engaging hook normally in latching engagement with theA free end thereof. Said latch carries a trip head 23 which, upon engagement in an upward direction,

swings the latch about its fulcrum to release a shelf and permit it to drop about its pivotal mounting to the position shown by dotted lines at the left of Fig. 1.

Wherein it is desired to effect a feeding every twelve hours, the lower shelf I 6A is first tripped and released and twelve hours later the lower shelf of the seriesB tripped and released. Each alternate shelfl is thus tripped and released progressively atftwelve hour intervals. For this purpose there is provided a trip member 24 slidably movable and guided on a vertical track 25 5 secured to the rear wall Illa of the cabinet and equally spaced from" the opposed series of shelves. The trip member f is mounted upon a guide bracket 26 which partially embraces the track 25. Said trip meinbervis raised and lowered on the track by a cable 21. Said cable extends upwardly along thetraokvZ to pass over a winding spool 28 rotatablyfn'iunted in the upper end of the cabinet to be driven by an electric clock motor 29. The clock motor is provided*` with a two-way friction' clutch of any` suitable type so that when the trip member 24 reaches the spool it will merely stop by means of coming in contact with one of the bolts that secure the track 25 to the rear wall Ina. When the feeder is ready to reload with food, by means of the same two-way friction motor clutch, the trip member 24 may be manually lowered to the bottom of the track in preparation for a new cycle.

The clock motor is so timed in any suitable manner toimove through the :distance Ibetween adjacent shelves Iii-Anand IEB overaftime period of twelve hours. However, it is to be understood that the speed of movement of the trip member and the distance between adjacent shelvesmay be varied to effect a feeding at any desired'time interval, there being as many feedingsfasrthere are shelves carried in the cabinet. Inthis connection it may further be observed'thatwhereas the modification herein shown provides V.for a v double series of shelves in staggered relation, ithe.. operation of the feeder is .the same wherein `rtl'iere.-may .be .provided .only a. single series -of rshelves.

:As the respective shelves are tripped and releasediby thelupwardrnovementof the trip mem--. "ber .24 the,.package Il -of .food slides from the shelf, dropping onto a counterweighted fulcrumedtrap door SUA, there being a similarly op- .,posed trap door 3UB,Y.each of said doors extending `funder.: their-:respective series ofshelves. Each of ...said .doorsis .fulcrumedto `the rea-r wall Illa ...ofthe .cabinet .at 3i,.and has formed therein a rearwardly-.extending shelf 32 carrying a coun- .terweight..33, such. that thetrap door, upon receiving .a r.discharged ration .of food, will .tilt .downwardlyior.directing .itinto the feed pan .15, .andassoonasitis relieved of the weight .ofthe.food-.the..counterweight will return it to an sangularly closingv position of the door 30B. When .both doorsare intheir upper position, the .bottom of the cabinetis closed, it being swung to .its .open Vposition only .momentarily to deliver .fa-.food ration.

.One of ,said trap doors is .positioned to engage a microswitch 34 supported on the cabinet and f A.normally in circuit breakingposition when the i .door is'raised. When the door is swung downwardlyto discharge a ration of food, it engages ..the 'microswitch to close the circuit therethrough. The microswitch circuit (not shown) is con- :nectedwithany suitable' electric signalling or call device, such asa'bell, `whereby upon the ration 'of "food being delivered tothe feed pan i5, through 'the 'medium of the microswit'ch, the

-ianimalwill'begivena call 'signal'to which itmay 'be trained to respond.

In operation, assuming that a feeding -cycle has been completed with the trip member`24 at the 4uppermost position and all the shelves in their released posi-tionfthe' trip memberis manu- :zallyiipulled down `to its lowermost: position, Vun... 'ewin'dingthe :spool 28. 1t willslide z Aby Lthe disengaged. rlatcheszZ i .iby reason of 'the beveled side edges ofthe .tripmember'engaging :aridcamrning 'the Atrip -heads 23 :as `it is drawnA downwardly.

.Afterthe trip memberismanually .drawnrto its zlowermost position, Vthe-shelves are reset 'iinY .their horizontal latchedpositionfand each shelf .sup-

i. .plied with aration offood Il. The trapdoors are .normally in their closed position, whereupon the swinging door -i Ifmay be closed and 'the feeder .=;in.condition to begineamew. feeding cycie. Depending upon lapsegof .time until-the. next followng .feeding `time .the "trip member '.has been .manually 1 sety in its .,lowermost n.position Lin such shelf will be tripped for the next feeding which may be only a few hours away. Thus the trip member may be manually set only a short distance `below the first trip head. Thereafter, during each interval between feedings the trip member will have been raised by the clock motor and spool the distance between adjacent opposed trip heads so that they will be actuated in the prescribed relation. As each one is operated it drops '-.down to discharge thezfoodiratiom and remains in its downward position out ofthe-Away of the next superimposed shelf. As the food ration .idrops onto either of the trap doors 30A or 30B, .theyare actuated to open and deposit the food ration in the feed pan I5, at the same time I1-electrically actuating the call signal or bell through .their respective microswitches 34.

'In'the-modied form of the feeder as shown .inifg ..4 the operation is substantially the same as above described, but wherein the shelves IIB arein the.. form of pans with Aupwardly..extending .side wallsfI|8..and..a.slopingend wall...Il9. By

.the .use ofsuchpamlike .shelf foodmayfbelre- .tained therein in. the form of .a stackof pellets .or the.'` like. When the .shelf drops. down vto lthefre- .lease position as w.shown .the .pellets or ,the like will. bedischarged overv theslopingend wall I I9 on .tothe `trap door .and...into the.feedV pan.

To .facilitate .resetting of .the shelves there is provided a camming'finger I2'0 secured to .one forwardcorner of theshelf .positioned .to .engage .an .outstandingfflange .I23a :on the fulcrumed latch I2I. .Said latchjsfulcrumed at I22on..the

.rear wall laof .the cabinet and .isI provided with Va -trip head |23. As each pan isreturned Vfrom its..released .position to its latched `position .the finger engages the flange I23a swingingthe .latch .into .position -to .permit .the .bottom .of nthe shelf `to vride thereover and be., engaged .thereunder as .the latch returns to. itsnormal position.

Slidableon the verticaltrack there is a tripmembernd.supported.by the cable I2'I...in the manner l.above described, .said .trip .member .having laterally extending .arms I`24a positioned .ing cabinet having aseres. of .spaced Npan-like .shelves each with an vupstancling .side wall land f an .outwardly sloping .end wall, .means for A therein over the.sa1d.endwall, meansfor moving hingedly mounting said shelves to said :cabinetat .the end opposite saidend wal1,.a latch mounted on said cabinet forsupporting engagementwith the free end .of 'each of said-shelves, `a.latch .trippingmember movable vertically relative to vsaid latches for progressive engagement...therewith to `.effect Ithe release 4of their respective shelves .forl .permitting .discharge :of Vfood retained said tripping .member -to progressively -engage said latches at predetermined intervals, fand a .cammingelelnent extending upwardiy and-rearwardly from the-.end-.wall of `each of-said shelves engageablerwith the respective latches to permit positioning of 4a released shelf in latchedposition.

.2.. A live. stock -feeder y.comprising an .upstandingcabinet having a series .of lvertically spaced .food .supporting .,shelves, .means .for .-.hingedly .mounting each ofvsaid shelves withinsaideabinet .at .one Y.end .thereof '.-to lpermit the '..free ...end Atito :swingrdownwardly from itsffoodcsuppcrtinggpsiy l ;tion,...a .i latch mountedonasaidecabinetorffsupspaced :..relation .to thelowest -shelf .-that -.saidf.5..

of said shelves, a latch tripping member movable vertically relative to said latches for progressive engagement therewith to effect release of their respective shelves for permitting discharge of food retained thereon, means for moving said tripping member to progressively engage said latches at predetermined intervals, and a camming element extending upwardly and rearwardly from the free end of each of said shelves positioned for camming engagement with the respective latches to permit re-positioning of a released shelf into latching position after release thereof.

3. A live stock feeder comprising an upstanding cabinet having a series of spaced superimposed food supporting shelves pivotally mounted at one end thereof within said cabinet, a latch mounted on said cabinet for supporting engagement with the free end of each of said shelves,

a guide track mounted in said cabinet extending from the lowermost to the uppermost shelf, a single latch tripping member slidably guided upon said guide member from a lowermost to an uppermost position for progressive engagement with said latches to effect food discharging release of their respective shelves, and a motor drive for said latch tripping member operable to slide it along said guide member at a predetermined speed to engage and trip said latches successively to release their respective shelves at predetermined time intervals.

4. A live stock feeder comprising an upstanding cabinet having a series of spaced superimposed food supporting shelves pivotally mounted at one end thereof within said cabinet, a latch mounted on said cabinet for supporting engagement with the free end of each of said shelves, a guide track mounted in said cabinet extending from the lowermost to the uppermost shelf, a single latch tripping member slidably guided upon said guide member from a lowermost to .an uppermost position for progressive engagement with said latches to effect food discharging release of their respective shelves, a motor drive for said latch tripping member operable to slide it along said guide member at a predetermined speed to engage and trip said latches successively to release their respective shelves at predetermined time intervals, and a normally closed trap door under said series of shelves normally biased to closed position for receiving the food discharged and be thereby moved to open position for directing the received food to a feeding receptacle.

5. A live stck feeder comprising an upstanding cabinet having a series of spaced superimposed food supporting shelves pivotally mounted at one end thereof within said cabinet, a latch mounted on said cabinet for supporting engagement with the free end of each of said shelves, a guide track mounted in said cabinet extending from the lowermost to the uppermost shelf, a single latch tripping member slidably guided upon said guide member from a lowermost to an uppermost position for progressive engagement with said latches to effect food discharging release of their respective shelves, a motor drive for said latch tripping member operable to slide it along said guide member at a predetermined speed to engage and trip said latches successively to release their respective shelves at predetermined time intervals, a normally closed trap door under said series of shelves normally biased to closed position for receiving the food discharged and be thereby moved to open position for directing the received food to a feeding receptacle, an electrically actuated call signal mounted on said cabinet, and a control switch for said signal operable by the movement of said trap door to actuate said signal upon movement thereof to food directing position.

JAMES R. COFFING.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,442,382 Bullock Jan. 16, 1923 1,966,017 McEvoy July 10, 1934 

